Sermon Resources

June 28 - Ruth 4

Reflection Questions

• Have you ever mistaken a chapter of your life for the whole story? Looking back, can
  you identify a season where God was doing something you could not see at the time?
• Naomi was not wrong about her suffering, but she was wrong about the ending. Is there
  an area of your life where you may be drawing conclusions before God has finished
  writing the story?
• Which character in Ruth 4 do you most relate to right now?
  • Naomi, trying to make sense of loss?
  • Ruth, looking for a future?
  • Boaz, seeking to faithfully do the next right thing?
• Boaz could not see David or the Messiah. He simply obeyed God in the moment. What
  is one "next faithful step" God may be asking you to take right now?
• Where have you seen God's providence at work through ordinary circumstances rather
  than dramatic miracles?
• Who are the people whose ordinary faithfulness helped shape your life and faith? How
  has God used them in ways they may never fully know?
• How might God be writing a larger story through your life than you can currently see?
• What would change if you viewed your present circumstances not as the conclusion, but
  as one chapter in God's larger story?
• Ruth 4 reminds us that our lives are connected to God's redemptive purposes. How does
  that truth affect the way you view ordinary acts of faithfulness?
• The ending Naomi could see was a grandson. The ending God was writing was the
  redemption of the world. Where do you need to trust God's perspective more than your
  own?

Key Sermon Truths to Remember

• The ending you can see is rarely the ending God is writing.
• God often does His greatest work through ordinary faithfulness.
• We see the chapter we are living; God sees the whole story.
• Naomi was not wrong about her suffering; she was wrong about the ending.
• Faithfulness is not our responsibility because we can see the ending. Faithfulness is our
  responsibility because we trust the One who does.

 

June 21 - Ruth 3

Reflection Questions from the Sermon (Ruth 3)

1. Have I lost some of my wonder at the gospel?
   • Which truths about Jesus (His love, forgiveness, redemption, resurrection) have become so familiar that I no longer pause to marvel at them?
2. How does the picture of the kinsman-redeemer deepen my understanding of Jesus?
   • Which aspect of Christ's redemption speaks most powerfully to me right now: the price He paid, the protection He provides, or the provision He gives?
3. Where do I most identify with Ruth and Naomi's situation?
   • Are there areas of my life where I feel empty, vulnerable, isolated, or in need of God's redeeming work?
4. What does it mean for me to live as an adopted child rather than as a slave?
   • Do I find myself striving to earn God's approval, or am I resting in the security of being loved and accepted by Him?
5. Ruth approached Boaz with both boldness and humility.
   • How can I bring my needs, fears, and requests to God with the same confidence and humility?
6. Naomi felt empty, yet God was already at work redeeming her story.
   • Can I identify ways God may be working behind the scenes in circumstances where I currently struggle to see His goodness?
7. Boaz reflected God's hesed (steadfast, covenant love) through his actions.
   • How can I demonstrate God's faithful love to vulnerable, hurting, or marginalized people in my own life?
8. The sermon emphasized that redemption changes our identity.
   • Am I living in light of who Christ says I am, or am I still defining myself by past failures, shame, or circumstances?

Key Scriptures Used in the Sermon

Ruth
Ruth 3:1–18 – The primary passage.
Ruth 2:12 – Ruth taking refuge under God's wings.
Ruth 4:13 – Ruth and Boaz's marriage.
Ruth 1:21 – Naomi's declaration that she returned "empty."

Old Testament Background on the Kinsman-Redeemer
Leviticus 25:25 – Redeeming family land and caring for needy relatives.
Leviticus 25:47–49 – Redeeming family members from slavery.
Deuteronomy 25:5–10 – Marriage responsibility toward a deceased brother's widow.

New Testament Fulfillment in Christ
Romans 8:29 – Christ as the firstborn among many brothers.
Romans 8:31 – "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Hebrews 2:11, 17 – Jesus identifying with us as our brother.
1 Peter 1:18–19 – Redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.
Colossians 1:13–14 – Rescued from darkness and brought into Christ's kingdom.
Matthew 28:20 – Christ's ongoing presence with His people.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 – The Lord's protection and faithfulness.
Galatians 4:4–7 – Adoption as sons and heirs through Christ.
Luke 15:31 – "Everything I have is yours."
Ephesians 1 – Every spiritual blessing in Christ.

 

June 14 - Ruth 2

Reflection Questions

• Where have you been tempted to believe, like Naomi, that God’s hesed love has stopped showing up in your life?
  • Can you identify any “small ephahs of barley”—small evidences of God's faithfulness—that may have restored hope when you least expected it?

• Who are the vulnerable, overlooked, or marginalized people in your sphere of influence?
  • How might God be inviting you to notice them rather than pass them by?

• Boaz moved beyond the letter of the law to embrace its spirit.
  • In what areas of your life do you tend to ask, "What's the minimum required of me?" rather than, "How can I love generously?"

• Ruth took courageous risks to care for Naomi.
  • What sacrifices might hesed love require of you right now for the good of someone else?

• Boaz used his position and influence to create safety for Ruth.
  • Where has God given you influence, privilege, resources, or authority that you could use to protect or advocate for others?

• Boaz invited Ruth from the margins to the table.
  • Who might God be calling you to intentionally welcome, include, or befriend this week?

• The sermon emphasized that God's hesed is often experienced through people.
  • Who has embodied God's faithful love to you during difficult seasons? How did their actions reveal God's character?

• Naomi's perspective shifted from bitterness to hope.
  • Is there an area of disappointment or grief where God may be inviting you to reconsider the possibility that He has not abandoned you?

• "I have been blessed to be a blessing."
  • What practical step can you take this week to tangibly demonstrate God's hesed love to someone else?

Supporting Scriptures for Further Study

The Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:1–23 – Ruth gleans in Boaz's field and experiences his hesed.
Ruth 1:8–9 – Naomi blesses her daughters-in-law with the Lord's hesed.
Ruth 1:16–17 – Ruth's covenant commitment to Naomi.
Ruth 2:20 – Naomi recognizes that God's hesed has not ceased.

Laws Concerning the Poor and Vulnerable
Leviticus 19:9–10 – Leave gleanings for the poor and foreigners.
Deuteronomy 24:19–21 – Care for foreigners, widows, and the fatherless through gleaning.
Leviticus 25:35–38 – Support those who become poor among you.
Leviticus 25:8–17 – The Year of Jubilee and restoration of family inheritance.

Loving Others Through Hesed
Leviticus 19:18 – "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Leviticus 19:33–34 – Love the foreigner as yourself.
James 1:27 – True religion cares for widows and orphans.
Acts 2:42–47 – The early church sharing generously with those in need.
Matthew 5:14–16 – "You are the light of the world."
Luke 6:27–28 – Love your enemies and pray for those who mistreat you.

 

June 7 - Ruth 1

Reflection Questions

Understanding the Passage

• How does understanding the historical context of famine, widowhood, and life as a foreigner deepen your appreciation of Ruth 1?
• Naomi repeatedly says that God has turned against her. Do you think Naomi was right? Why or why not?
• The sermon described hesed as faithful, covenant love that refuses to give up. Where do you see examples of hesed love in this chapter?
• How is Ruth's commitment to Naomi similar to the kind of love Jesus calls His followers to demonstrate?

Suffering, Grief, and Faith

• Naomi is brutally honest about her pain and disappointment with God. What can Christians learn from her example?
• The sermon suggested that Naomi's pain distorted how she viewed God and her circumstances. How can suffering sometimes affect our perspective?
• How can we distinguish between our feelings about God and what is actually true about God?

Ruth's Conversion and Faith

• Ruth chooses to follow Yahweh despite seeing Naomi's suffering. What makes her decision so remarkable?
• Why is it significant that God chose a former Moabite woman to become part of the family line of King David and Jesus?
• What does Ruth's inclusion in God's story teach us about God's grace and His heart for outsiders?

Personal Application

• Which person do you identify with most right now—Naomi, Ruth, or perhaps Orpah? Why?
• The sermon asked: "Where might my pain be blinding me to a gift of God?" How would you answer that question today?
• Is there someone in your life right now who needs a "Ruth"—someone willing to stay, listen, and support them?
• How can we maintain healthy boundaries while still carrying one another's burdens?